Apparatus for treating liquids



E. c. D'YARMETT APPARATUS FOR TREATING LIQUIDS Original Filed Nov. 3, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l IIWHEIVTOR Edward 6. fl) rma 77 1933- E. c. DYARMETT APPARATUS FOR TREATING LIQUIDS Original Filed Nov. 3, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIVVE/V TOR fdl Vd/Z/ 6, 57 4/7776 ff 001:. 31, 1933- Q DYARMETT 1,932,514

APPARATUS FOR TREATING LIQUIDS Original Filed Nov. 3, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 31, 1933 APPARATUS FOR TREATING LIQUIDS Edward C. DYarmett, Kansas City, Mo., assignor to The Fractionator Company, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Originalapplication November 3, 1928, Serial No.

316,947, new Patent No. 1,732,805. and this application August 28,1929. Serial My invention. relates to apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oil to change its characteristics and more particularly to form lighter or heavier liquids therefrom as may be desired, the present application being a division of my application,

Serial No. 316,947, Patent No. 1,732,805.

Crude oil, being composed of a mixture of various hydrocarbon liquids of different boiling points and solids in suspension, may be separated into fractions by vaporizing the oil and fractionally the heat transfer through the wall of the vessel and unavoidably resulting in vaporization of components heavier than those desired for recovery and in some undesired change in the character-'- istics of the oil. For example, if crude petroleum is being treated for recovery of its gasoline con tent, overheating will crack other components of the oil, resulting in dilution of the desired product with unsaturated constituents. Such overheating also produces an excessof vapors of heavier fractions, which must be removed from the recovered gasoline.

If the treatment is for cracking the oil, then overheating will result in formation of freecarbon, which will settle on the wall of the container,

interfering with heat transfer and necessitating cleaning, thus limiting the yield.

Vapors driven from crude oil by heat of necessity contain a portion of all the various volatile components of the crude oil, and being of varying density, will co-mingle in a vapor space, so that recovery of only lighter fractions necessitates removal oi the heavier components by fractional condensation, or-the vapors may be stratified by centrifugal force and the heavier vapors separated for independent treatment. In cracking crude oil to increase its gasolin yield, molecules of the original oil are broken into smaller molecules, some of which include carbon and hydrogen in proper proportions while others lack in hydrogen content but can be saturated with hydrogen supplied from gases or vapors introduced from an extraneous source.

It is, therefore, the principal objectof my invention-to-provide apparatus for treating hydrocarbon .oil for recovery of a maximum quantity Divided 10 Claims. (Cl. 196-128) of a desired product free from undesirable constituents, and without injury to other components of the oilor to the converting apparatus.

More particularly my invention consists in passing the oil rapidly over a heatedsurface in 0-. the form of a film for promoting rapid vaporization without overheating and in centrifuging evolved vapors so that heavier and lighter vapors may be removed separately at the end of the treatment. I

A particular feature of my invention includes the introduction of a gas rich in hydrogen, such as methane having a molecular construction denoted by the formula CH into the vapor space surrounded by the'film of oil within the heating 70, chamber, where it may be bombardedby molecules freshly formed by cracking the oil, to pro.- mote combination of light and heavy molecules of the gas and oil. v

Apparatus embodying my invention, incluoung all of the elements required for the recovery of amaximum quantity of gasoline from hydrocarbon oil, and adapted for selective use for recovery of any desired fraction, or for the combining of gas or vapors with molecules of the oil, is 8! illustratedin the accompanying drawings, where- Fig. l is a perspective View of a battery of assembled fractionating, cracking and combining stills. I

Fig. 2' is a central vertical section ofa still for preliminary treatment of oil, particularly adapt ed for use in separation of low boiling point fractions of an oil, without cracking.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section in perspective of the lower portion of the heating chamber of the still. Fig. 5 is a central vertical section, of a cracking and combining stil1, inc1uding a fractionating tower. 7

Fig.6 is a detail perspective view partly in section of parts of the fractionating tower.

Fig. 7 is a cross section on the line 7 7, Fig. 5.

Referring more in detail tothe drawings:

A, B, C and D (Fig. 1) designate stills arranged in series and adapted for conjoint or selective use according to the product it is desired to recover from the oil under treatment; theseveral stills corresponding generally in detail construction and differing only in thatsome are adapted for more advanced treatment of the oil than are the others. E designates a preheater or heat .exchanger, through which raw stock may-be passed tothe still constituting the initial unit of the .110

system. F designates a furnace for supplying heat to certain of the still units; G a stack for spent gases leaving the still units, and H a compressor employed for delivering gases rich in hydrogen to certain of the units for saturating lean components of a cracked liquid. Other mechanical and structural elements will be identified in the more detailed description of the apparatus. Referring first to the initial still or unit of the apparatus designated A in the assembly, 1 (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) designates a shell preferably cylindrical and supported on a base plate 2, preferably of cast metal and including a liquid receiving chamber 3 having an opening to the bottom of the shell through a throat 4, having a beveled edge 5. Supported on the base 2 is a drum 7 spaced from the shell to provide an annular chamber 8 having inlet and outlet ports 9 and 10 at the top and bottom, and within which a spiral partition 11 extends about the shell from the inlet port 9 to the outlet port 10. Supported on the drum 7 and enclosing the upper portion of the shell 1 between the drum and the top of the shell is a housing 12 having an outwardly-directed, V-shaped flange 13 at its upper edge provided with a rim 14, forming the trough 15. Extending in convolutions through the flange 13 and the body of the housing is a channel 16, terminating in an outlet port 17.

Mounted on the rim 14 of flange 13 is a tower 18A, preferably cylindrical and provided with a cover 19 including an upwardly inclined body portion terminating in a vapor dome 2i) and having an extension 21 depending into the drum 18A. The top of the dome is provided with a central aperture 22 containing a shaft bearing 23 and with a stuffing box 24 for a shaft presently described; a nipple 25 being mounted on the dome for a purpose presently mentioned.

A port 26 opens laterally from the dome and a gas line 27 extends through an opening 28 in the side of the dome and into a collar 29 suspended centrally within the dome about the shaft 48 presently described by a spider 29 carried by the dome wall, the collar being spaced from the shaft to form an annular space within which gas separated from the vapors by centrifugal force may be collected as presently described.

Suspended from the base 2 is a box 30 provided with a bearing 31. J ournaled in the bearing 31 and extending through a stuffing box 32 on the chamber 3 is a shaft 33 operatively connected with a motor 34 through a beveled gear wheel 35 on the shaft, a pinion 36 on a transverse shaft 37, abelt wheel 38 on the shaft 37, a belt 39 and a wheel 40 on the motor shaft 41.

Fixed to the shaft 33 in the bottom of the shell 1 is an impeller 42 for forcing oil passing through the throat 4 radially within the shell, and preferably consisting of a lower ring 43 having a lip 44 extended into the throat 4 in the base 2, the upper ring 45 and ribs 46 connecting the rings and forming discharge openings 47. Mounted on the impeller 42 to rotate therewith and extending through the shell, the fractionating tower 18A and the vapor dome 20, and journaled in the bearing 23 at the top of the dome is a tubular shaft 48, having ports 49 in its lower portion through which gases or vapors may be delivered into the bottom of the shell.

Fixed to the tubular shaft 48 are blades 50 preferably radial and extending from the bottom of the shell to slightly above the top thereof and to near the inner surface of the shell 1.

Fixed to the shaft within the fractionating tower are spaced disks 51 of slightly less diameter than that of the tower to provide space for travei of vapors through the tower without restriction of the vapors, and provided on their upper faces with radial ribs 52 for a purpose presently described, the disks being spaced by collars 53 sleeved on the shaft 48.

Fixed to the wall of the tower and extending downwardly and inwardly between the disks are drip plates or rings 54 for returning condensed liquid, with any reflux liquid that may be employed, from the wall of the tower onto the disks. Located in the bottom of the tower is an annular trough 55 for receiving liquid flowing down the wall of the tower below the bottom disk, and opening from the trough 55 is a line 56 for conducting said liquid back to the receiving chamber 3 through a port 57 when the liquid is to be recirculated with fresh stock as illustrated in the present drawings.

58A (Fig. 1) designates a line leading from the trough 15 of the heating drum for conducting.

residue of the treated oil from the trough 15 to storage, here shown to consist of the tank 59A.

60 designates a pipe surrounding the downward extension 21 of the vapor dome within the fractionating tower through which reflux material may be forced to the tower from a source presently described by a pump 61A, and provided with apertures 62 through which the liquid is delivered onto the upper disk 51 in the tower.

The preheater or heat exchanger E may be of any suitable construction, but preferably comprises a vertical shell to which raw stock may be delivered through a line 63 and removed through a pipe 64, the structure here shown being of a type adapted for utilizing hot liquids from other units of the system for heating the raw stock and preferably comprising a plurality of heating chambers to which hot liquid may be supplied through pipes 65 and 66 and removed through pipes 67 and 68. Vapors from the preheater may be conducted through a line 69 to the nipple 25 on the vapor dome 20 of the still A for passage through the tubular shaft 48 into the shell 1 where they may co-mingle with vapors generated in the still A for treatment therewith.

70A designates a pump for drawing oil through line 64 from the preheater and delivering same through a line 71A to the receiving chamber 3 of still A.

The still or unit A just above described is shell 1 of the still A by the pump 70A. When the oil enters the shell 1 it is thrown outwardly to the wall of the shell by the impeller 42, and, rising in the shell under the force of supply, passes into the zone of the blades 50, which,

rotating at a peripheral speed of seven feet or more per second, drive the oil outwardly to contact with the shell, rotating the oil and thereby forming a film thereof on the inner surface of the shell. The oil, being continuously supplied to the bottom of the shell under the pumping force and rotated by the blades, rises through the shell in the form of a film and overflows into the trough 15 at the top of the heating collar 13.

Heat supplied to the drum 7 and housing 12 by hot liquid and vapors passing through the channel 16 and through the spiral path in the drum 7, raises the temperature of the film of oil during its travel through the shell 1, generating vapors which leave the inner face of the film and enter the space surrounded by the film. Vapors leaving the oil, although of different fractions and consequently of different densities, c0- min'gle within the space within the film and rise through the space between the blades 50, into the fractionating tower. When thevapors enter the tower they pass beneath the lower disk 51 into the space between the periphery of the disk and the wall of the tower and are, by the bottom drip plate 54, deflected back over the disk into contact with the blades 52 on the top of the disk and then upwardly in a tortuous path about, over and beneath successive disks and drip plates to the top of the tower. The disks 51 and blades 52 rotating at a peripheral speed greater than that of the blades 50 in the heating shell, impart sufiicient centrifugal force to the co-mingled vapors to separate same according to their respective densities, the gases and lighter vapors being retained in the'innermost zone adjacent the shaft and the relatively heavier vapors being thrown back and toward the wall of the tower.

While heat is applied to the bottom of tower through the flange 13, the wall of the tower is unheated. Consequently when the vapors contact the wall they condense and flow back down the wall to the collecting trough 55. As the gases and uncondensed vapors rise in the tower and pass back and forth beneath the successive drip plates and over successive disks, liquid from progressive condensation in the upper portions of the tower flows back over the plates and drips through the oncoming vapors so that light, rising vapors vaporize and carry off lighter fractions in the downflowing condensates, while the heavier fractions are, by the disks, impelled to the wall of the tower.

As a result of such action, vapors of the predetermined desired fraction reach the top of the tower uncondensed, collect in the dome 20 and may be conducted through a line 72 to a condenser 73, having a liquid line 74 leading to storage. The reflux line 60 may constitute a branch of the liquid line 74.. Any noncondensible gases present in the material, being lighter than the vapors, will, by the centrifugal force, be separated from the vapors, the heavier vapors being forced outwardly and the lighter gases forming an inner strata to rise in the innermost zone of the tower next to the shaft 48 and collect in the trap 29 through which they are conducted through the line 27 for suitable disposal. Any steam vcontentof the material may be separated from the oil vapors with the gas and disposed of through the trap. If gases separated in the tower are of a nature to render. them unfit for use, they may be wasted through the outlet line,- or if such-gases arerich in hydrogen, they may be employed in other stills for the purposepresently described.

If the denuded product constituting residue from the still A is to be furthertreated for therecovery of naptha, kerosene and other light distillate, but without cracking for the formation of additional gasoline, the residue is run from the the tank 59A to the still and line 713.

As the still Bis identical with the still A except in the respects presently mentioned I will employ the same numerals of references for likeparts in description of the still B, differentiating by the use of the index identifying the part with the still B.

As temperatures higher than those employed for driving off the light gasoline vapors must be employed in still B, I substitute for the heating drum '7 and housing 12, a heating chamber '75 (Fig. 5) surrounding the shell 1B and comprising non-conductive material 76 lying within metal plates 77 and '78 and provide the fractionating tower 183 with a bottom member 1313, also form- B through a pump B ing a cover for the heating chamber and inte gral with the sheli 1B, the upper surface of the member 1313 being provided with a relatively wide trough 15B adapted to overfiow into an outer trough 80 having an outlet channel 81 connected with a line 5825 through which unvaporized liquid leaving the still is conducted to a tank 59B or other storage.

As more fractions are to be separated in the tower of the still B than in the tower of the still A, a greater number of centrifuging disks 51B and'drip plates 54.3 are provided in the tower of the still B, and in order to draw 01f the condensate of these different fractions I provide some of the drip plates with troughs 82 adjacent the wall of the tower, having ports 83 through which the condensed liquid is passed to receiving cups 84 of offtake lines 85 and a trough 5513 at the bottom of the tower corresponding to the trough 55 in the bottom of the tower of still A, having offtake through a line indicated by the opening designated 5613 (Fig. 5).

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated four fractional offtake lines from the tower 18B, although any desired number may be provided, and I have shown each outlet line 85 and line 5613 provided with a double fitting 86 (Fig. 1), one branch 8'7 of which may be employed for conducting the liquid to separate storage, and the other line 88 of which connects with a manifold 89; each branch being provided with a valve 90 or 91 for controlling flow therethrough. The manifold 89 connects with a line 92 through which the condensed liquid may be conducted through the line 65 to the preheater E, or through a line 93 to storage under control of the valves Vapors from the. vapor dome 203 may be conducted through the line 96 to the port 9 of the heating drum 7 for exchange of their heat through the shell 1 to the liquid passing through the still A, and eventually, for further cooling, through the line 97 to a condenser 98. Heat for the still B is supplied to the chamber 75 through a duct The still C is of a construction identical with 1 that of still B except that fewer centrifuging disks are employed in the fractionating tower and nofractionated liquid outlet is provided. in

the intermediatepart of the-tower, and. in that it is of heavier construction to permit operation under higher pressure. There is a further difference in the operation of still C in that the material delivered through the hollow shaft to the bottom of the heating shell is of a nature to enrich the unsaturated components of the oil cracked in the still instead of merely constituting a light fraction of the oil treated under relatively low temperature. For this latter purpose I connect to the nipple 30C on the top of the vapor dome 200, a line 103 leading from a source of supply of a gas rich in hydrogen, here shown to be the line 106 leading through a fitting 105 to the compressor H, which receives its supply of gas from condensers in the system through a line 107, or from a source of independent supply through line 108. The line 106 connects through a fitting 105 with the line 103 and also with the line 109 leading to a further still presently mentioned, the lines 103 and 109 being provided with valves 110 and 111 for controlling the respective lines 103 and 109.

The vapor line 112 leading from the dome 20C connects with a condenser 730 through a step down valve 113 whereby pressure may be reduced between the still and the condenser. The condenser 730 is here shown to connect with the line 107 to the compressor through a line 114, and the condenser 73C is provided with an outlet line 74C leading to storage and having a reflux branch 600 leading through a pump 61C to the tower 18C.

Residue from the still B is forced into the heating chamber of still C and travels through the chamber under the same conditions heretofore described with reference to the stills A and B, and

with the further condition of an application of pressure to the film of oil sufficient to retain the oil in liquid phase until suificient heat has been absorbed to crack the oil; the pressure in the vapor space of the still 0 being supplied by the gases injected into the heating chamber through the compressor H, supplemented with that selfimposed by the'vapors generated from the oil after the cracking has taken place, and the centrifugal force applied by the filming blades.

The hydrogen rich gas not only provides desired pressure, but further supplies to the cracked vapors a material, the molecules of which will combine with the unsaturated components of the cracked product to form fully saturated molecules therefrom, thereby converting into a valuable product an element of the oil which would otherwise constitute a detriment and increasing recovery to the extent of the added gas molecules.

Condensate collected in the tower 180 may be conducted back to the intake end of the still through a line 56C for recirculation with fresh stock delivered through line 710.

Residue from the still C is drawn off through the line 58C to a tank 590 through a pump 70D for further treatment in the still D. The residue of the cracked oil contains only such elements as did not crack in still C under the heat and pressure treatment there involved, and which will crack under higher temperature without substan tial pressure. Consequently the still D may correspond exactly with still B except that it is preferably of stronger material than employed in still B for the reason that under some conditions the still D may be used for cracking under high pres sure as well as under high temperature.

It is the hot residue from still D that is employed for heating still A, the residue being conducted through the lines 115 from the still D to the pipes 116 leading to the channel 16 in the housing 12 of still A. The line 115 extends to storage through an extension 117 connected with the outlet line 118 from the heater channel 16 of still A and valves 119-120 are placed in the lines 115 and 116 to control flow through the heater of still A or direct to storage. Hot liquid condensed in the tower 18D of still D passes to the preheater E through lines 121 and 66 for heating the charging stock for still A. The line 121 has an extension 122 leading to storage and the lines 121 and 66 have valves 123-124 controlling fiow through the lines. o

The vapor line 112D leads through a regulating valve 113D to a condenser 73D from which gases are drawn through the line 107 to the compressor for delivery to stills C and D for either of them. The reflux line D, including the pump 61D, may conduct liquid from the condenser 73D back to the fractionating tower 18D for treatment of the vapors in said tower.

While I prefer to connect the furnace with the stills B, C and D through the manifold 99 and individual ducts 125-l26 controlled by dampers 100, 100C and 10010 and to draw off the spent gases through individual flues 101B, 101C and 10113 to the common stack G and have shown other specific details of structure and arrangement, such has been principally for convenience of illustration of an operative system without intention of limitation of such details, as other methods of applying heat and conducting vapors and liquids may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Assum'ng that the apparatus disclosed is employed for treating crude oil which, for example, may be oil from the Cushing Oklahoma field, having a specific gravity of about 0.824 (40.2 B.) the operation of the apparatus is as follows:

The pump B is connected with the source of supply of oil to be treated through a line 127 by opening valve 128 in said line andclosing valve 129 in line 130 leading from tank 59A. The dampers 100C and 100D are closed and gases from the furnace passed to the heating chamber of the still B. Oil is delivered from supply line 127 through the pump 7013 to the receiving chamber of the still 13, through which it is forced into the heating shell 13. The motor 34B rotates the impeller in the bottom of the heating shell of the still B, throwing the supplied oil to the side of the heating shell and the oil rising through the shell is maintained in a film and rotated rapidly over the wall of the shell by action of the radial blades on the center shaft. The heat is so regulated as to avoid excessively high temperatures and the vapors driven from the oil film are only the lighter fractions and uncracked. These vapors passing up through the fractionating tower of the still B are separated, the heavier vapors condensing and the condensate passing out through the line 92 for recirculation, the non-condensible and water vapors passing off through the line 273 and the lighter vaporsfinding outlet through the line 96 to the heating chamber 7 of the still A.

While I have described use of my apparatus for recovery of certain products and as operating under certain pressures, it is apparent that the treatment may be effected under vacuum in the stills, and that the steps recited may be supplemented or varied, as by introduction of'steam into still B for recovery of lubricating cuts, and that oil and water emulsions may be treated with my apparatus without generation of excessive pressure.

When the preheater is in operation, oil is pumped therethrough to the receiving chamber of the still A, from which it is passed to the heating shell and there impelled to the wall of the shell and rotated to cause it to travel in a film over the wall of the shell to the fractionating tower 18A, vapors generated in the preheater being passed through the hollow shaft of still A to mix with the vapors generated in said still and pass with them into the fraetionating tower. Vapors passing through the tower are centrifuged for separation of heavier and lighter fractions, the condensed liquid drawn oil and returned to the receiving chamber 3 for recirculation, the non-condensible gases and steam being drawn off through the line 27A and the vapors of the desired fraction conducted through the line 72 to the condenser 73.

The heat employed in this operation is only sufiicient to drive off the very light fractions and may be of relatively low temperature because of the rapid absorption of the heat by the film of oil.

at about 490 degrees F. Consequently the oil passing through the still A will be heated to only about 250 degrees F. and only very light fractions will be driven off and the residue will contain a considerable quantity of gasoline.

When suilicient liquid has accumulated in the tank 59A, the valve 128 is closed and the valve 129 opened, cutting off supply through the line 127 and admitting supply from the tank 59A.

' Liquid from the tank is then pumped into the receiving chamber of still B and passed through the-heating shell thereof where it is treated in the same manner as was the original stock in still A. V

i The hot oil from tank 59A passing through the still Bwill be heated to a temperature of approximately 550 FE, which is sufiicient to drive oif naptha and kerosene vapors without cracking the oil, the vapors leaving the vapor dome of the still B and entering the heating chamber of the still A at about 475 R, which is sufficient to drive off the lighter gasoline vapors from the oil passing through still A, but not sufficient for removal of all of the light vapors, some of which pass into still B during the preliminary operation of the system.

When the fractionated liquid is drawn off from still B through the manifold 39 to the preheater,

it is at approximately 500 R, which is sufficient to heat raw stock passing through the preheater to the still A to about 350 F. Residue leaves the still B at about 559 F, and when drawn immediately from the tank 59E enters the still C at about 525 F. The still C is heated to approximately 750 F., and held under a pressure ranging from to 30-9 pounds per square inch according to the heat applied and whether or not the pressure is only that self imposed by vapors generated in the still plus that generated by the rotating blades or such pressure plus that of the gases supplied through line 103.

Residue from the still C when passed immediately through tank 590 enters the still D at approximately 700 F., and is there heated to about 1100 F., but owing to the nature of the material, no added pressure is necessarily re quired, supply of gases from line 109 being only for the purpose of furnishing hydrogen to saturate some of the moieculesof the residue cracked in this still. Liquid leaves the fracticnating tower of still D and enters the preheater at about 600 F., thereby raising thetemperature of the raw stock passed through the preheaterto the A. Residue leaves the still D and enters the heater 12 of still A at about 1000 F., which, with the heat of vapors from still B, is sufficient to effect vaporization of substantially all of the gasoline vapors from the oil passing through the still A.

Consequently soon as the last unit of the system is in operation sufficient heat is supplied from the highertemperature stills for raising the temperature of the raw stock and of the oil in still A by heat exchange.

While I have shown a complete system for recovery of a maximum gasoline content from raw oi-l, and have recited certain definite temperatures and pressures, I wish it to be understood that the invention is not limited to the complete combination, as a number of the units less than the whole or even the individual units alone may be employed according to the nature of the product acted upon and the material to be recovered and pressures and temperatures may vary according to the grade of the raw stock and the product to be recovered, the principal features of the invention being the filming of the oil and treatment of the vapors to avoid loss and injury to the treated stock and secure a maximum and uniform product of condensation, and while I have referred specifically to use of the apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils, I do not wish to be understood as limiting the invention to treatment of: such liquid only as it may be employed for similarly treating other liquids without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oil including a shell, means for delivering liquid to be treated to one end of the shell, a shaft rotatably mounted co-axially with the shell, radial blades on the shaft, means for rotating the shaft to cause the blades to impel the liquid oil to contact with the inner face of the shell, means for heating the shell, means at the outlet end of the shell for separately receivingremaining liquid oil overflowing the shell and vapors leaving the spaces between the blades, and separate oil liquid and vapor lines leading from the receiving means.

2. Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oil including a shell, means for delivering liquid oil to be treated to one end of the shell, a shaft rotat-ably mounted co-axially with the shell, an impeller on said shaft, blades on the shaft, means for rotating the shaft for impelling the liquid oil to contact with the inner face of the shell in response to movement of the blades with the shaft, and means for heating the shell.

3. Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oil including a shell, means for delivering liquid oil to be treated to one end of the shell, a hollow shaft rotatably mounted co-axially with the shell and having apertures therein at the intake end of the shell, means for delivering gas or vapors to said shaft, blades on the shaft, means for rotating the shaft to cause the blades to impel liquid oil to contact with the inner face of the shell, and means for heating the shell.

4. Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oil including a shell, means for delivering liquid oil to be treated to one end of the shell, a hollow shaft rotatably mounted co-axially with the shell and having apertures therein at the intake end of the shell, an impeller on said shaft, means for delivering gas or vapors to said shaft, blades on the shaft, means for rotating the shaft for impelling liquid oil to contact with the inner face of the shell, and means for heating the shell.

5. Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon including a heating chamber, means for supplying liquid oil to be treated to said chamber, means for heating the chamber, a fractionating tower connected with said chamber, rotatable shaft members extending through the heating chamber and fractionating tower, means for rotating the shaft members, blades on the shaft member within the heating chamber, spaced disks on the shaft member within the fractionating tower, drip plates extending downwardly and inwardly from the wall of the tower between said disks, and separate means for removing vapors and condensed liquid oil from the tower.

6. Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oil including a heating chamber, means for supplying liquid oil to be treated to said chamber, means for heating the chamber, a fractionating tower connected with said chamber, rotatable shaft members extending through the heating chamber and fractioning tower, means for rotating the shaft members, blades on the shaft member within the heating chamber, spaced disks on the shaft member within the fractionating tower, blades on the disks for impelling rising vapors and ascending liquid oil toward the wall of the tower, drip plates extending downwardly and inwardly from the wall of the tower between said disks, and

separate means for removing vapors and condensed liquid oil from the tower.

'7. Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oil including a heating chamber, means for supplying liquid oil to be treated to said chamber, means for heating the chamber, a fractionating tower connected with said chamber, rotatable shaft members extending through the heating chamber and fractionating tower, means for rotating the shaft members, blades on the shaft member within the heating chamber, spaced disks on the shaft member within the fractionating tower, drip plates extending downwardly and inwardly from the wall of the tower between said disks, a trough at the top of the heating chamber for collecting residue from the chamber, a trough at the bottom of the fractionating tower for collecting condensed liquid oil from the wall of the tower 8. Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oil including a heating chamber, means for supplying liquid oil to said chamber, means for heating the chamber, a fractionating tower connected with said chamber, a vapor dome above and communicating with said tower, rotatable shaft members extending through the chamber, the tower and the dome, means for rotating the shaft members, blades on the shaft member within the heating chamber, spaced disks on the shaft member within the tower, drip plates extending downwardly and inwardly from the wall of the tower between the disks, a trap surrounding the shaft member within the vapor dome, and separate outlet lines leading from the trap, the dome, the tower and the heating chamber.

9. Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oil including a heating chamber, means for supplying liquid oil to said chamber, means for heating the chamber, a fractionating tower connected with said chamber, a vapor dome above and connected with said tower, rotatable shaft members extending through the chamber, the tower and the dome,

means for rotating the shaft members, blades on the shaft member within the heating chamber, spaced disks on the shaft member within the tower, drip plates extending downwardly and inwardly from the wall of the tower between the disks and having troughs adjacent the wall of the chamber, separate troughs at the bottom of the tower respectively adapted for collecting residue overflowing from the still chamber and oil condensed in the tower, a vapor outlet from the dome, and separate outlets from said troughs.

10. Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oil including a heating chamber, circular in cross section, a fractionating tower above and co-axial with the chamber, a vapor dome above and coaxial with the tower, a rotatable shaft co-axial with and extending through the dome, the tower and the heating chamber, centrifuging means including radial blades on the shaft within the heating chamber, spaced horizontal disks of greater diameter than said centrifuging means fixed on the shaft within the tower, spaced, vertical, radial blades on the upper faces of the disks, drip plates on the fractionating tower extending downwardly and inwardly between the disks, means for rotating the shaft, means for heating the chamber, separate outlets from the dome and fractionating tower, and means for removing the residue left by the liquid oil delivered from the heating chamber.

EDWARD C. DYAPJMETT. 

